


Who You Are

by penguinated



Category: Allegiance - musical
Genre: Allegiance, Broadway, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, It's not the focus but I gotta include the warnings, Musicals, Theater - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2018-12-25 13:17:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12036687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinated/pseuds/penguinated
Summary: Eliza Thomas is the great-granddaughter of Frank Suzuki and Kei Kimura. After a traumatic event in her life, she finds herself in their midst at Heart Mountain Camp. She meets family she never knew before and sees the family she does know in a new light. Through them and their struggle, she is reminded of who she truly is.





	1. Chapter 1

Eliza woke to a coating of dust. She sneezed loudly, forcing her upright. As she looked around, she realized she was on hard ground and freezing cold. Shivering and confused, she struggled to her feet, hugging herself to keep warm. Her thin t-shirt and leggings were just not doing the job. She tried to brush the dust off her clothes, to no avail. When a cold wind blew through, she gave up entirely and just wrapped her arms around herself.

                “Where the hell am I?” she wondered.

                She started walking, desperate for any indication of her whereabouts. Dawn was breaking, so the sun revealed the surrounding buildings. They appeared to be barracks of some kind. With more light, she also noticed the barbed wire that created a perimeter around the place. That sent a fresh jolt of worry through her. Then she read the sign on one of the buildings.

                HEART MOUNTAIN CAMP

                “Oh, no,” she said under her breath. “What the hell?”

                Full on panic had set in and brought with it so many questions. What was she doing here? Why was this camp in operation? Had she traveled in time? Backward or forward? Was she dreaming? She had to be dreaming!

                She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. Then she pinched herself a few times, praying that when she opened her eyes again, she’d be back in her apartment, safe and sound. When she did so, she was disappointed. She was still trapped in dust, barracks, and barbed wire.

                Cursing to herself, she started running. Partly because it would help keep her warm, but mostly because she was frantic. She needed to find a person and get some answers. She got some when she heard a harsh shout from behind her.

                “Hey! Hold it right there, Jap!”

                She came to a halt and whipped around, dread brewing in the pit of her stomach. She took in the source of the voice. It was a young man, probably no older than eighteen, dressed in a World War II US Army uniform with an M1 rifle slung across his shoulder. Knowing this could mean trouble, she put her hands up in the air. When he got closer he brought his rifle in front of him, the muzzle pointed at her chest.

                “What are you doing out here, Jap?” he demanded.  
                She frowned at being addressed as “Jap” a second time, but tried to remain calm. If she allowed herself to be angry on top of everything else she was feeling she might explode. She mulled it over in her head whether or not to tell this man the truth: that she was not in the right place. She decided since he was pointing a gun at her, he could not be trusted.

                “I was just…I got lost on my way back from the bathroom,” she lied.

                The soldier breathed a sigh of relief and put his weapon back on his shoulder and his entire body relaxed.

                “Okay, what block are you from?” he asked, no longer shouting.

                “Uh….thirteen?” she guessed.

                “I’ll take you back there,” he said. He came close enough to take hold of her arm and escorted her away from the edge of the camp.

                As he approached, his brow furrowed. Eliza guessed he was confused by what she was wearing, but she didn’t say anything about it. By the camp, his uniform, and the weapon he was using, she guessed she had somehow gone back in time. How this had happened she still had no idea, but there had to be some explanation. Her mind raced with more questions as she walked silently with the guard, who now seemed rather annoyed by the task. They finally came to a stop.

                “Here we go,” the guard said. “Block thirteen. Try not to get lost again.”

                “Yeah, uh, thanks,” she said vaguely back.

                He huffed and stalked off.  
                Her mind was still going through the possibilities. Just then, she saw a familiar face outside the barrack. She knew his face but could not recall where she had seen it before. He looked kind. She shook her head to clear it.

                “Um, excuse me,” she said sheepishly. “I know this sounds totally crazy, but, what year is it?”

                He gave her a startled look. “1942,” he said, and his eyes questioned her sanity.

                That confirmed her theory.

                “Thank you,” she replied, trying to slow down the whirlwind of emotions and thoughts that were now just giving her a headache.

                “Are you okay?” the man asked.

                She nodded. “I think so. I’m sorry I’m being so cryptic and strange.”

                He smirked, almost laughing. “That’s okay. I’m Frank,” he said, extending his hand. “Frank Suzuki.”

                Then it hit her. The second he said his name she realized why he was familiar to her. She was looking into the young face of her great-grandfather.


	2. Chapter 2

That was it. Eliza fell to her knees and vomited. She heard Frank yell and then felt his hands around her upper arms, trying to get her back to her feet. But she couldn’t stand. He removed his hands for a moment and she heard him shout again. She didn’t hear what he said as she was shaken by another round of retching.

Suddenly, she felt a little warmer, like an embrace around her arms. She turned her watery eyes back toward Frank and saw that he had put his leather jacket around her. She remembered that jacket, as in the future she owned it. It was soft and familiar, but she was still shaking. Another pair of hands was on her and she was lifted to her feet.

“Thanks, Sam,” she heard Frank say.

“Yeah, no problem,” said the man called Sam.

“What’s going on?” came a female voice.

“This girl got sick,” Frank explained. “We’ve got it, Kei, we’re just gonna take her to the nurse.”

Eliza felt her senses returning. She glanced over at the other man helping her and was hit with yet another shock. Her great-uncle Sam. She did not know him personally, as he and her great-grandmother, his sister, had not spoken since around this time.

Before she knew it, she was being ushered into the infirmary. Frank and Sam set her gently down on the bed and Eliza clutched her jacket and pulled it tightly around her.

“What happened?” the nurse asked.

Sam looked at Frank. “Frankie.”

“It was the strangest thing,” he began, and told the nurse and Sam everything. They seemed just as confused as he was.

“Okay,” the nurse said. She was pretty – tall, blonde, with beautiful blue eyes. “Okay, sweetie, can you tell me your name?”

“It’s Eliza,” she answered, feeling shaken but otherwise okay.

The nurse extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Eliza. I’m Hannah.”

Eliza took her hand and shook it.

“Eliza, can you tell me if you’ve had anything odd to eat today?” Hannah asked. “Anything happen out of the ordinary?”

What a helluva question that was. But Eliza did not want to be told she was insane to taken to a place for those with mental illness. Especially not in 1942 in an internment camp.

“No, I haven’t eaten anything today,” she said, and that was actually true.

Hannah retrieved a thermometer from a drawer and had Eliza open her mouth. She allowed Hannah to place it under her tongue before closing her lips around it. It revealed no unusual temperature, and Hannah gazed at it, puzzled.

“Well, you aren’t running a fever,” she said. “And if you haven’t eaten anything…” She looked at Sam and Frank. “Could you two excuse us?”

They nodded in understanding and left the room. Frank placed a comforting hand on Eliza’s shoulder before leaving. Eliza knew what Hannah was going to ask before she asked it.

“Eliza, is there a chance you could be pregnant?”

Eliza hesitated for a moment before saying firmly, “No. That couldn’t happen.”

Hannah looked confused. “Well, I think the only thing to do is give you some ginger ale and let you get some rest.”

She poured a small cup of the soda and offered it to Eliza, who sipped it. Hannah took Eliza’s shoulder and gently guided her back on the bed. She shushed Eliza and told her to relax. Eventually, Eliza’s tired brain and body, unable to absorb anything more, allowed itself to be claimed by sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Eliza’s dreams were troubled. She kept seeing the party. The back room. The music. The despair in her own face as she looked in the bathroom mirror. She woke with a start, thankful to be away from all of that, but reminded of her new problem: being stuck in an internment camp in the year 1942.

She sat up, and Frankie’s jacket slid from her shoulders. She looked at it before putting it back on, this time putting her arms in the holes and wearing it properly. She was – gratefully – alone. She didn’t expect that to last long. As soon as she thought this, Hannah and Frankie reappeared, poking their heads through the door to peer at her.

“It’s alright,” Eliza said. “I’m alright.”

They entered and approached her.

“You’re feeling better?” Hannah asked.

Eliza nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for the help and sympathy.”

“Of course,” Hannah replied. “You can go back to your block now. And I would suggest wearing warmer clothes so you don’t get sick again.”

“Good idea,” Eliza agreed, and thanked Hannah once again for helping. Then she and her unknowing great-grandfather left the infirmary.

She was still dealing with the fact she was faced with her family. She knew that Frankie would be arrested for treason and she knew the horrible things that were going to happen to him. She had not yet decided if she would try and intervene to stop those things, but for now she was not going to reveal that she did not belong here.

“So, Eliza,” Frankie began. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before. But you live in the same block?”

“I guess you just missed me,” she returned coolly.

He glanced at her outfit. “You’re kind of hard to miss.”

“Oh, um, these are just my sleep clothes,” she tried to say dismissively, but his eyes said that he suspected her.

Soon enough, they were back at their lodgings. Kei and Sam were outside talking. Beside them was their father, Tatsuo, and emerging was their grandfather, Keito. Eliza gazed at them, feeling an overwhelming peace. This was her family. She loved them so much, and it felt rather sad they did not know who she was. She also found it strange that Frankie did not immediately pull Kei into his arms and kiss her adoringly on the cheek, but she realized that if it was early in the internment, her great-grandparents were not even together yet.

Frankie introduced Eliza to the Kimura’s, though she already knew them from the family photo albums. She had seen Sam’s face from the _Life Magazine_ cover that her grandmother still had, carefully preserved. He looked exactly the same here. Outside of the _Life_ article, Eliza knew nothing about him. Frankie and Kei never spoke of him. The loss of him was too great and too terrible to talk about.

Eliza offered a bow to each of them. Then she started inside to try and find something else to wear. She was going to have to blend in for a while until she could find her way home.


	4. Chapter 4

As the days went on, Eliza was growing more and more used to life in the camp. The food was horrible, and the weather was worse, but the people around her were still relatively cheerful. They went about life as usual, despite the terrible injustice of their situation. Sure, there were moments of anger or sadness, but they were fleeting. People were also a little afraid to discuss such things. It sometimes made Eliza so angry she ached.

She was slowly bonding with her family. The Kimura’s were already close, and Frankie was in the camp alone. He seemed determined to be able to be with Kei as often as he could, and he was definitely getting to her. He could speak Japanese fluently, so he impressed Tatsuo and Keito. Sam, on the other hand, had not warmed to Frankie at all. Eliza really liked everyone.

“Eliza,” Kei said as they were in the middle of a card game one night. Eliza had been at the camp for about two weeks. “We met a while ago, but I still feel like I know so little about you.”

Eliza had been avoiding questions and giving vague answers on purpose.

“Well, what do you want to know?”

“For example, what were you doing before you came to the camp?” Kei asked.

“Oh, I was in college,” Eliza answered, and that was true. She was almost done with her freshman year. “At USC.”

“That’s where Frankie was at law school,” Kei said, impressed. “Not many girls go to college.”

“Did you want to go?” Eliza wondered, eager to take the focus off herself.

“A little,” Kei told her. “But I thought college was best left to Sam. I was needed at the farm with Papa and Oji-chan.”

“Yeah, that sounds like you,” Eliza said, unthinking.

“What do you mean?” Kei wondered, raising an eyebrow.

“Well – I just meant that – considering I always see you taking care of others – just it seemed like something you’d do,” Eliza sputtered.

“Okay,” Kei allowed. “But there’s something else I wanted to ask you.”

“Yeah, shoot,” Eliza said.

“What’s your last name?”

“It’s uh….Uzumaki.”

 _Really?_ Eliza scolded herself. _You’re gonna go with an anime character’s name?_

“Are you not sure?” Kei pressed.

“Well, yeah, of course I am!” Eliza insisted. She just knew she could not give away that she was half white. That sort of thing was unheard of and illegal in this time. She was lucky she looked mostly Japanese. When she was out with her dad, most people assumed she was adopted.

“Are your parents here?” Kei continued.

Eliza shook her head. “No. I haven’t heard from them since the issue for all Japanese-Americans to evacuate. I think they were taken to another camp.”

The skepticism on Kei’s face melted away and was replaced with pity. “I’m so sorry. This whole thing has felt okay since I’ve got my family with me. I can’t imagine what it’s like going through it alone.”

“I’m not alone,” Eliza said simply. “I have you guys now.”

Kei smiled. “That’s very sweet.”

“I mean, what we’re all enduring here together, that makes us family,” Eliza went on. “Blood or not, we have an experience that none of us are ever going to forget.”

“That’s true,” Kei agreed. “It’s sad, though.”

“Well, let’s not think about it right now,” Eliza said. “I want to finish kicking your butt.”

Kei chuckled. “We’ll see about that!”


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Eliza was up early. Once again, her sleep was disturbed by nightmares of the weeks before she ended up in the past. It was still dark out, as dawn was just barely peeking over the horizon. She threw her blanket to the side and got out of bed. Throwing on a dressing gown, she padded outside for fresh air. Of course, the air here always had dust in it, but it didn’t bother her so much anymore. She pulled Frankie’s jacket tighter around her and looked about. She spotted Keito puttering around a few yards away. Smiling to herself, she approached him.

“Kimura-san,” she said. “What are you doing out here?”

“I am looking for a place for garden,” he told her.

“A garden?” she questioned. “In the dust?”

“You be surprised,” he said simply.

“Well, can I help you?” she asked.

He grinned at her, and together they began their search. Thankfully, they ran into no guards to bother them about being outside when the rest of the camp was sound asleep.

“You look troubled,” Keito suddenly said. “I feel my eyes are younger than yours!”

She attempted to smile at the joke, but couldn’t. She was troubled. She just didn’t know if she could tell him why. It was so humiliating.

“I’m having bad dreams, Kimura-san,” she said.

“Bad dream, huh?” he repeated.

She nodded.

“Lucky for us, dreams are only at night,” he said. “When we awake, they go away.” He paused. “That sound better in Japanese.”

She giggled. “It probably does. But I appreciate the thought.”  

They kept walking until they reached an open area toward the outskirts of camp.

“This is a good spot,” Keito said.

“I agree,” she replied with a smile.

He began explaining to her where he planned on putting everything once he had the materials. She listened carefully, grateful to have something to take her mind off of the horrible things she could not seem to let go of.


	6. Chapter 6

Later, Eliza was eating lunch with Sam. Since Sam was her only living relative that she never knew, she was interested in him. She wondered what could have caused such a rift in the family that Kei and Frankie could barely speak of it. She took a bite of rice and gazed at him. He was scowling at Frankie, who was conversing with Tatsuo in perfect Japanese. Kei had a look of pride on her face at the interaction between Frankie and her father.

“What’s eating you, Sam?” Eliza asked.

“Why does everyone love Frankie?” he wondered bitterly. “What makes him so great?”

“I dunno, I think he’s nice,” she returned, getting a little defensive.

“Well, that’s no surprise,” Sam spat. “You still wear his jacket all the time. You in love with him too or something?”

Eliza nearly choked on her food. “Oh my God, Sam, you’re literally so wrong.”

“Well, what is it then?” he demanded.

She took a swig of water to stop her coughing. “Look, it’s just that Frankie was the first person I met here and he showed me a kindness. I don’t forget stuff like that.”

He did not answer.

“Why do you hate him so much?” she asked. “I mean, what’s he done to you?”

“He hasn’t done anything to me I guess,” he said. “But look at him. Showing off that he can speak Japanese and he’s in law school and he’s Mr. Perfect.”

“Those things don’t make a perfect person,” she told him.

“My father seems to think so,” he replied.

Her expression softened. “That doesn’t mean your father doesn’t love you. I mean, so what Frankie can speak Japanese? His parents teach the language, it’s a given. And law school isn’t for everyone. I mean, there’s loads about you to be proud of.”

He looked expectantly at her. She took a deep breath and continued.

“Sam, you’re in school, so that’s already amazing,” she began. “You’re smart, kind, and you’re so passionate about the things you want. You’ve been trying to keep everyone upbeat about this mess we’re in, and you’re proving to be a great leader. Like, with the dance, you’re organizing that a lot on your own. You’re a wonderful person. So stop comparing yourself to someone else.”

He sighed. “I guess you’re right. But it’s hard when Pop doesn’t see those things. It feels like Frankie is the ‘ideal son’ or something.”

“Look, if your father can’t see what’s great about you then that’s on him,” she said matter-of-factly. “You can’t change who you are just to make him happy. It’s your life. You can’t live it for someone else.”

He relaxed at her words and a small smile began to spread across his face. “Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “You’ve got a lot of talent, Sam. You should own it and be proud of who you are.”

He nodded in understanding.

“So, how’s the dance coming along, by the way?” she asked. “Need any help?”

“Oh, only all I can get,” he said honestly.

She chuckled. “What can I do for you?”


	7. Chapter 7

The next week, she and Sam completed preparations for the dance. It was actually nice to work with him and get to know him some more. She did notice the nurse Hannah came by a lot, and he went to see her just as frequently. Eliza thought they’d be a sweet couple, and she hoped things worked out for them. As the night of the dance approached, Eliza got more and more excited. Then things got worse when the loyalty questionnaires were handed out to the people in the camp.

Eliza gazed at it, completely shocked. Of course, her great-grandparents had never discussed details of the internment camp. She had never even heard of this before, even at school in her history lessons. It was unbelievable that the government demanded loyalty from people they had so wronged.

She went straight to the mess hall where she knew the others would be gathering for the dance. She saw Frankie getting some punch so she went to get some as well and talk to him about the questionnaire. When she approached, he handed her a cup.

“Thanks,” she said, surprised.

“So, did you get it?” he asked.

“The questionnaire?” she returned. “I did. I gotta tell ya, it’s bullshit.”

Frankie spit into his cup before he could finish his drink. He looked at her, laughter upon his face.

“Well, that pretty much sums up what I did with mine,” he said with a smirk.

Eliza snorted.

“You wanna dance?” he asked, offering her his hand.

She was suddenly stuck by a memory. She was a little girl, only about four or five and she had walked downstairs in the early morning because she had a bad dream. Frankie and Kei were there, visiting for a holiday. When she came downstairs, she spied them dancing in the living room to a soft jazz tune playing on the turn table. They just held each other, swaying back and forth, as if they were the only people in the entire world. Eliza thought it was the sweetest thing she had ever seen. It was Frankie who spotted her that morning.

“What’s the matter, Eliza?” he had asked, coming to a stop with his wife.

“I had a bad dream, Oji-chan,” she had replied in a scared voice.

She called him this because Frankie was actually the only grandfather she had on her mother’s side. Her grandma Hanako had lost her husband in a car accident before Eliza was even born. She had grandfathers on her dad’s side, but of course they were white, so they were not Oji-chan.

“Oh, no, a nightmare?” Kei had continued.

Tearfully, Eliza had nodded in reply, recalling her childish fears.

“Come here, sweet girl,” he had said affectionately, taking her hands in his own. He guided her to stand on his feet. He looked at Keiko. “Hope you don’t mind her cutting in.”

Kei shook her head. “Not at all.”

Frankie looked back down at Eliza. “We can dance, okay? Then you can forget about the nightmares.”

Eliza had finally smiled that night as her Oji-chan took her around the room to the sound of Glenn Miller. They continued this until the rest of the house was awake and they had to start breakfast. But, she had stayed with Frankie the rest of the morning, even sitting on his lap during the meal.

“Eliza?” the young Frankie’s voice pulled her out of this memory.

“Sorry,” she said, with a watery smile.

“Are you okay?” he pressed.

“Yeah,” she lied, wiping a tear that had leaked from her eye. “Just…I remembered…it doesn’t matter. We can dance.”

Still confused, he led her to the dance floor. He was just as good a dancer as she remembered, but she felt a little twinge of sadness at not being able to stand on his feet anymore.

When the next song played, a more upbeat song, they stopped and returned to their punch. Then Frankie was approached by a couple men to discuss the questionnaire. When Kei showed up though, looking stunning in her red dress with a paper flower in her hair, Frankie only had eyes for her. Eliza watched them dance and talk to each other. It was just like what she had seen that morning she saw them. Kei was a lot more comfortable then than she was now, but the scene was still similar. They danced and he made her laugh. Eliza’s heart felt full with affection for them.

When the song ended and Sam started to close the whole thing down before curfew, Frankie stopped him. He had prepared a satirical moment, making fun of the “efforts” of Mike Masaoka to help the Japanese citizens in the camps. Eliza found it charming, and most people seemed to take it as just a joke. When she glanced at Sam, though, he was glowering at Frankie. When it was done, Sam actually cut it off.

“Cool it!” Frankie said jokingly, and tried to reach out to Sam, who dodged him.

“Masaoka made it possible for us to serve our country,” Sam said.

“He’s not behind barbed wire, is he?” Frankie retorted.

“If you had any guts, you’d sign up to fight,” Sam continued, and started to walk away.

“He means volunteer to die!” Frankie called. “Not after FDR locked up my parents.”

It was his turn to walk away.

Sam wasn’t having it. “Coward! They should have locked you up with them!”

Frankie came to halt and stared, appalled, at Sam for a moment.

“Sammy!” Kei gasped.

Eliza’s mouth fell open. She saw the cracks forming in the family. Frankie and Sam were too different. How could this tear them all apart?

Suddenly, Frankie charged at Sam. They were shouting and had grabbed hold of one another before two other men broke them apart. Kei launched herself between them as well and forced Frankie away from her brother.

“Stop it!” she cried. After an uncomfortable beat she continued. “It’s almost curfew. We should call it a night.”

The crowd dispersed and Sam went to her. “Come on, Kei.”

When she did not join him, he left the mess hall, leaving her looking guilty. Eliza left too, feeling that whatever happened next was meant to be a private moment between her great-grandparents. She did not go with Sam, though. She was pissed about what he said. No matter how you looked at it, that was not an okay thing to say.

Eliza walked back to her room and flopped down on her bed. Feeling exhausted both physically and emotionally, sleep came quickly to her. This night, she slept peacefully, as her dreams were of dancing on her Oji-chan’s feet.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, the questionnaires were collected. Tatsuo had answered “no” to questions twenty-seven and twenty-eight. Eliza was behind him in line when the officer asked him if he was sure about his answers. Tatsuo firmly answered that he was. Eliza handed the officer her paper as she watched her great-great-grandfather walk away. She wished desperately that he would be more careful, but another part of her – a larger part – was proud of him for taking a stand. He was staying true to himself and his beliefs.

Later, as she visited with the Kimura’s in their room, the same officer showed up to arrest Tatsuo. His children looked on anxiously as the officer put their father in handcuffs. Tatsuo went without a fight.

“Are the handcuffs really necessary?” asked Kei.

“I’ve got my orders,” the officer replied curtly.

“If he changed his answers, you’d let him stay, right?” enquired Sam in a last ditch effort to save his father.

“My answers remain ‘no’ and ‘no’,” Tatsuo said resolutely.

“How can you be so stubborn?” Sam returned.

“An honorable man must take a stand for what he believes,” Tatsuo said.

“Time to go,” the officer interjected, reaching to take Tatsuo’s belongings from Kei.

“Papa,” Kei sighed and went to embrace him, but the officer came between them.

“No touching,” he told her.

“Hey, come on!” Sam protested.

“That’s the protocol, no touching,” the officer repeated.

“What are you afraid of?” Kei pressed. “That I’ll slip him a knife? Give him a gun? Search the place! Search the whole damn camp! We have NOTHING!” She glared fiercely at the officer. “You took it all away and now you’re taking him!”

Sam and Keito put their hands on Kei to comfort her as she sobbed.

“Keiko,” said Tatsuo. “Gaman.”

Keito moved to go to Tatsuo.

“Back away,” the officer warned.

Keito looked defiantly up at him. “He my son.”

Seeing that Keito could not be deterred, the officer moved aside.

“Tatsuo,” Keito said gently, placing a hand on his son’s shoulder.

Tatsuo bowed to his father, the first time he had lowered his head throughout the arrest. When he rose, the officer took him by the neck and escorted him from the room. Keito took a few steps after them, gazing longingly out the door.

“Gaman,” Keiko said, her voice cracking. Eliza took her hand.

“No!” Sam cried. “There’s gotta be something I can do to help him!” He approached his sister. “I’m gonna enlist.”

“What?!” Kei gasped.

“If we prove we’re loyal, they’ll free Pop! No, they’ll free all of us!” he said.

“You don’t have to prove anything!” Kei protested, and she gave Eliza’s hand a squeeze.

“I’m an American citizen in a country that thinks I’m the enemy,” Sam said. “I have everything to prove!”

“Papa forbid it,” she reminded him. “Oji-chan, tell him.”

“Isamu,” Keito said. “A boy always obey his father.”

Sam opened his mouth to protest, but Keito silenced him. “But! A man does not.”

“What are you saying?” asked Sam.

“When I you age,” Keito told him. “I fight in war. When you Papa you age, he cross ocean. What you do?”

Sam had a determined gleam in his eye. He was going to enlist. Kei gazed disbelievingly at him. Eliza wasn’t sure how to feel. She honestly respected Sam for his conviction. He was more like his father than he knew, for he too was taking a stand for his beliefs.

Eventually, Kei left to see Frankie. Keito went to tend his garden. Eliza went back to the Kimura’s room to see Sam. He was packing his things.

“Knock, knock,” she said, alerting him to her presence.

“Oh, hey,” he returned. “How’s Kei?”

“Better now that she’s with Frankie,” she told him.

He sighed in a defeated sort of way. “Guess I won’t be around to put a stop to that.”

“Ah, I think he’s good for her,” she said. “But let’s not talk about that.”

“Did you have something specific in mind?” he asked.

“Yeah, actually,” she said, taking a seat on the bed next to his suitcase. “I wanted to say that I really admire what you’re doing.”

He blinked in surprise. “Well, you’re the only one then.”

“Seriously, Sam,” she continued. “Enlisting to free your family, and doing what you think is right despite everything they think…you’re really brave.”

“Oh…thank you,” he said, a little awkwardly.

“You’re welcome,” she said with a smile. “But the most amazing thing is that what you’re doing isn’t really for you. I mean, you’re literally going to fight for your family’s freedom. For everyone’s freedom. It’s something so much bigger than you or your father or anything like that. It’s so utterly selfless of you.”

“Finally, someone who sees it my way.”

She chuckled.

“Sam, can I confess something to you? And you promise you won’t tell anyone else?”

He looked very seriously at her. “Of course.”

“Well, you know that I was in college before we got here, right?”

He nodded.

She took a deep breath. “This isn’t the easiest thing for me to say. But just before I came here, I had been seeing this guy for almost the whole school year. I was really, really in love with him. Come to find out, he had been cheating on me with my best friend. And she convinced everyone in our circle to just…hate me for some reason. I was at a party and the two of them were there.” Her lower lip began to tremble as she opened her mouth to tell the rest. “I was so upset by all of this, and no one was talking to me, so I went down to the basement bathroom of the house. I found some prescription pills of whoever’s house it was…” She had to stop and breathe again. A tear slid down her cheek. She sniffled.

Sam gazed at her with pity in his eyes. He said nothing to encourage her to continue. He didn’t want her to lose her faith in him now.

“I took all of them,” she finally said. It was the first time she had said this aloud to anyone. “I just was so alone and sad…I wanted to die. I took them with vodka.”

Sam stared, dumbfounded, at her. His expression was an odd mixture of horror and sympathy.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked her.

“Because you’ve made me see that I was only thinking inwardly,” she said. “Now I see that even when things are the worst that they could possibly be, there is still everything to fight for. Life and freedom. These are the things that matter. I want to live again.”

He softened as he looked at her. Then he pulled her into a hug.

“I think you had this in you all along,” he said.

“It was inspired by you,” she replied, holding him tightly.

He released her and took a step back. “Good luck to you.”

“Thanks,” she said. “To you as well, soldier.”

He chuckled. Eliza felt so liberated by telling him this, and in her decision to fight for her own life. The only trouble now was figuring out how to get back to her own time to do it. Of course, she would not disclose this to Sam now.


	9. Chapter 9

After Sam left, there was a cloud over the Kimura’s. With half of them missing, Kei seemed a little lost. She cared for her grandfather diligently, and they waited for any scrap of news they could get. Hannah was also helpful as she was allowed to have the newspapers and read them to Keito, Kei, and Eliza. She also was allowed letters that weren’t as censored. They were surprised to hear of Sam’s heroism in the war in Italy.

“I can’t believe that’s Sammy,” Kei said. “I guess the army really was right for him.”

Eliza had not disclosed her last conversation with Sam to the rest of them. For now, it was a private moment they had shared.

“I agree,” said Eliza. “He made the right choice. Even if it doesn’t go with your father’s wishes.”

Kei nodded solemnly. “I can’t believe Sam is fighting and they still haven’t freed Papa.”

“Well, it’s only been a short time,” Eliza said, trying to console her. “Something like that will take a while.”

It was not long before Frankie and the rest of the men in the camp received a draft notice. They were not going to comply. It seemed now that Kei was in more distress. She had lost her father and brother already. Frankie would be too much.

“He can’t resist the draft!” she cried one night in their room.

Frankie was outside with the other men discussing how to protest.

“Sure he can,” Eliza said casually, momentarily forgetting the decade she was in. “Burning draft cards and all of that is protected under free speech. That’s been the case since Vietnam.”

Kei looked astounded. “What?”

Eliza shook her head. “I – uh – I mean, that’s a different thing, I’m sorry.”

Kei did not seem convinced, but her concern for Frankie was more powerful than her questions for Eliza.

“I can’t believe this,” she continued. “First Sammy and his stubbornness and now Frankie. Can no one just do what they have to in order to stay safe?”

“We can’t control them, Kei,” Eliza said. “They have their beliefs. It’s the core of who they are. All we can do is support them.”

“I can’t support this,” Kei argued. “Sammy electing to fight is one thing. But Frankie could be locked up for treason. He could even be killed! I couldn’t face that.”

Eliza looked sympathetically at Kei, who was tearing up again.

“He won’t be,” Eliza said assuredly. “Kei, he won’t be. I know he won’t.”

“How could you possibly know?” Kei wondered.

“Just…trust me, okay? You and Frankie are gonna be fine,” Eliza said.

Kei offered a watery smile. “I hope so.”

And so the draft riots began. Frankie and those who followed him burned their draft cards. They openly resisted.

It was a while before action was taken. The edition of _Life Magazine_ was published with Sam’s face on the cover. Eliza recognized it, as it was the only reminder of Sam that her great-grandparents had held onto. In the article, Sam condemned Frankie and other draft resisters. Eliza could only shake her head. She thought that Frankie and Sam both had legitimate points to their argument, but she couldn’t help but lean toward Frankie because of her closeness to him.

After the _Life Magazine_ article came out, those resisting were forced to hide within the camp, as the troops were on a manhunt. The men were going to be arrested and charged with treason. Eliza was helping Keito with his garden, and Kei snuck out with Frankie, unbeknownst to the others.

“Kimura-san, the garden is looking great,” she said. “I can’t believe you did this.”

He chuckled. “Keiko owe me two dollar.”

Eliza laughed. “Good for you!”

She was watering some droopy plants when Kei showed up, tears streaming down her face.

“Keiko?” Keito questioned.

“They took him, Oji-chan,” Kei said with a sniff. “They took Frankie.”

Eliza got to her feet and took Kei into her arms. “I’m so sorry.”

Kei cried for a while and allowed Eliza and Keito to comfort her. When the initial shock was over, she straightened up and looked determinedly at the others.

“I can’t just stand by anymore,” she said.

“What do you mean?” Eliza asked.

“I’ve got to do something,” Kei explained. “ _We’ve_ got to do something.”

“Like what?” Eliza pressed.

“I don’t know yet,” Kei returned. “But we’ll think of something.”

It was then that Kei and the other women got together to write letters to newspapers defending the actions of the men who had resisted the draft. Because Frankie was the leader it was likely he was getting the worst of whatever was happening. Kei seemed more determined than ever to do something to help him.

One morning, a few weeks later, Eliza was in the bathroom when Kei came in, dashed into a stall and slammed it shut. Eliza, alarmed, stayed in the bathroom, and she heard the sound of retching from Kei’s stall.

“Kei?” Eliza called, knocking on the stall door.

“I’m okay,” Kei groaned back. Then she hurled again.

Eliza didn’t ask any more questions. She leaned against the wall and waited. It was only a few minutes before Kei emerged and went to the sink to wash her mouth out.

“Kei,” said Eliza. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Kei looked down at the sink, panting and unable to meet Eliza’s gaze. There was a long silence.

“Kei,” Eliza continued.

“Uh…” Kei took another deep breath. “I think I might be pregnant.”

Eliza took Kei’s hand. “Come on,” she said.

“Where are we going?” Kei asked.

“To see Nurse Hannah,” Eliza told her.

They went to the infirmary, and Eliza put Frankie’s jacket around Kei’s shoulders.  


	10. Chapter 10

When they got to the infirmary Kei eventually admitted to Hannah that she was pregnant. She also revealed that Frankie did not know. Hannah looked away.

“What’s wrong?” Eliza asked.

Hannah cleared her throat and leaned on her table before looking at Kei. “You need to stay calm,” she began.

“What’s happened?” Kei demanded.

“He’s been hurt,” Hannah answered.

“No,” said Kei.

“I’m going to have him brought here,” Hannah tried to say, but Kei didn’t let her finish.

“I can’t just sit here!” Kei said. “Does he need an ambulance? How far is the hospital?”

Hannah and Eliza each took one of Kei’s arms and returned her to the chair.

“Listen to me,” Hannah said. “You’ve got to think of your child now.”

Kei glared at her. “This is no concern of yours. You have no idea what we’ve been through.”

Eliza always thought Kei was rather harsh with Hannah. But she understood Kei’s feelings. She was trying to protect Sam. And she wasn’t wrong, Hannah could never understand the plight of these people who had been locked up for no reason. Eliza stepped out, not wanting to hear an argument. She also wanted to see if she could get a glimpse of Frankie – in case she needed to get Kei out of there.

She saw them coming up the hallway. Frankie was hanging almost limp between two soldiers. There was a bandage around his head. He had crimson stains on his clothes. Tears in her eyes, Eliza darted back into the infirmary, deciding that Kei didn’t need to see this. She was met by a surprise. Kei and Hannah were holding hands and looking affectionately at one another.

“What happened here?” she asked.

“I’ll issue an order to have Frankie transferred to an outside hospital,” Hannah said. “From there I can get him to my parents in Missoula.”

“What?!” Eliza gasped.

“You’ll go to prison for that,” Kei said.

“I know,” Hannah said with a nervous gulp.

Heavy footsteps followed by a groan alerted them to the presence of Frankie and the two soldiers. Hannah’s promise had shocked Eliza so much she had forgotten she was trying to spare Kei this sight. It was too late now. The soldiers tossed Frankie to the floor and Kei flew to his side, taking his face in her hands.

“Frankie!” she cried.

“Back away from the prisoner!” one guard warned, but Kei ignored him.

“It’s all right,” Hannah tried to assure him.

The guard did not listen. He yanked Kei up by her arm. Eliza, infuriated, went to stop him, but his partner grabbed her around the waist and slammed her against the wall. She could feel the knot already forming on the back of her head. The one who had grabbed Kei shoved her to the floor.

“Hey!” Frankie yelled, jumping to his feet and pushing the guard away from Kei.

Hannah went to Kei and tried to help her up, but before she could, the guard Frankie pushed had pulled out his gun and was coming toward them.

“No!” Eliza cried, struggling against the one who restrained her.

“Hey! Put it down!” Frankie shouted, fighting off the guard.

“Stop it!” Kei added.

BANG. There was a scream and time seemed to stand still as everyone watched Hannah drop to the ground.

“Oh no!” Kei gasped.

The guard removed himself from Frankie and went to Hannah’s side. The one holding Eliza also released her. She only fell to her knees, shock coming over her. It struck her now where her grandmother’s name, Hanako, had come from. The sacrifice of Hannah.


	11. Chapter 11

Months passed. Everyone missed Hannah terribly, but the excitement of the coming baby was what almost everyone was talking about. Eliza was unable to think much about it. She had a feeling Hannah’s death was a significant part of the breaking down of the family. Sam already disliked Frankie. If he found out that Hannah had died because of a conflict around him, he’d of course resent Frankie even more. But Frankie was inevitable since he and Kei were having a child together. Frankie had been sent to federal prison after the shooting, and still did not know that Kei was pregnant. He was taken away almost immediately after Hannah was shot. Could this unfortunate accident really be the crack in the foundation of the Kimura’s? It made Eliza’s heart race thinking about what might ensue.

Kei and some other ladies went out to the garden with Keito for the afternoon. They had learned that Sam was wounded during an assault and he was one of the few survivors of his company. He was in an Army hospital. Eliza did not feel much like gardening, so she decided to take a nap.

Sleep came fairly easy to her. It was as if her entire being needed rest. But she was not to get it. Her dreams were once again filled with the images of the party. The thumping of the music reflected in her heart as she gazed at her drunken reflection. The pattering sound of the pills as she shook the bottle to be sure there was enough to do the job. Tears streamed down her face. She poured the pills from her palm like candy into her mouth. A red solo cup of straight vodka touched her lips as the sharp liquid burned her throat. One last look in the mirror before she collapsed on the ground.

“Eliza?”

Eliza sat suddenly upright, awakened by Kei. She was panting and sweating from her dream.

“I’ve just gotten a letter from Frankie. He asked me to marry him!” Kei cried. Then she paused. "Are you alright?"

Eliza tried to smile but couldn’t. The images in her mind were still swimming before her eyes.  Kei looked very hard at her, concern clouding her face.

“Eliza, you look like you’re gonna be sick,” she said.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Eliza insisted, but she was still shaking. She felt the sweat on her forehead and back. But she didn’t want to tell Kei.

“You’re not,” Kei returned firmly. “Lie back, you should get some rest.”

“No, no, I need some fresh air,” Eliza said, getting to her feet. “I’m gonna go out to the garden.” She looked at Kei and finally made herself smile a little. “I am really happy for you and Frankie, I promise.”

Kei nodded and Eliza walked out the door. She made her way to the garden. Keito always made her feel better with one of his sayings or jokes. She remembered the first time he had comforted her after coming to the camp. It was a memory she would always cherish. So when she walked out to the garden and saw him on the ground, her heart skipped a beat and her hand jumped to her mouth.

“Kimura-san!” she gasped and knelt down beside him. “Kimura-san!”

He did not respond to her. She took his shoulders and tried to shake him awake, tears welling up in her eyes. He did not stir. She didn’t understand. How could this happen? He was just here, moments ago! Did he know that Frankie and Kei were going to be married? How could he miss out on that? How could he go before they were released from camp? It was so unfair!

Eliza jumped to her feet and ran back inside the block. She needed to get Kei. They couldn’t lose anyone else. Not after Tatsuo, Sam, and Hannah. Not Keito too!

“Kei!” she panted as she burst through the door.

“What is it?” Kei asked.

“It’s your grandfather!” Eliza said. “He collapsed in the garden!”

“What?!” Kei gasped.

They hurried outside, Kei moving slower since she was so pregnant. When they made it out, Kei struggled to sit beside her grandfather. She put two fingers to his throat. Both she and Eliza had tears streaming down their faces.

“No,” Kei whispered. “Eliza, go get some help!”

Eliza nodded and took off running. She found a couple guards just around the corner from the block. They were smoking as they leaned against a wall.

“Please!” Eliza cried, coming to a halt in front of them, kicking up dust. “Please, we need some help! Keito Kimura collapsed in his garden!”

One groaned. “Alright, let’s go.”

They jogged behind her back to the garden. When they reached where Kei and Keito were, they slowed down. The guard who had not groaned bent down and repeated Kei’s earlier action of checking Keito’s pulse. He looked at the tearful women before him. He was sympathetic.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “He’s gone. There’s nothing we can do for him.”  

“No…” Kei said with a clear lump in her throat. “It can’t be.”

Eliza took Kei by the arms and helped her to her feet. They embraced, and Kei wept into Eliza’s shoulder. Eliza cried too but tried to keep it together for Kei.

The guard who had groaned before coming along retrieved another cigarette from his pocket. He lit it and took a drag.

“Who cares?” he said. “Let’s just bury him and get it over with.”

Eliza tensed. The second guard looked shocked.

“Have some respect,” he said. “This is their family.”

“It’s just another dead Jap,” the other returned.

Eliza released Kei. She walked over to the offending guard.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“I said it’s just another dead –”

He was interrupted by Eliza’s fist drilling into his nose. Blood spurted from it and Eliza heard a small _crack_ but she didn’t care. She also heard Kei and the other guard gasp in surprise. After everything she had been through, she was not afraid of this punk guard who thought he was tough.

“What the fuck?!” the guard cried, holding his bleeding nose.

He started toward her but as soon as he was within range she swiftly kicked him between the legs. When he doubled over with pain, grasping his groin, she punched him in the face again. He fell to the ground, moaning. She started toward him to inflict more damage, but Kei and the other guard grabbed her and held her back. He struggled to his feet, one hand on his crotch and the other on his nose.

“That’s for my family, you son of a bitch!” she yelled at him.

With her restrained, he came closer, his bloody face just inches from her.

“I’ll be filing a report,” he said. “What’s your name, Jap?”

“Oh, you want my name?” she returned. “My name is gent bent!” Then she spat in his eye.

He flinched and wiped his face on his sleeve. “You will pay for this.”

“Oh, make your report, I don’t give a shit,” she returned, finally relaxing.

He turned and stalked off. The other guard released Eliza when his partner was a good distance away.

“Look, I’m sorry about this,” he said. “I’ll go talk him down, don’t worry.”

“Just go,” said Kei.

He nodded and did as he was told. Kei then rounded on Eliza.

“Are you insane?!” she scolded.

“I’ve actually never felt better,” Eliza returned. But her wince indicated otherwise. She looked at her hand. Her knuckles were bruised and bleeding. “I guess I should get this looked at.”

Kei agreed.

After Keito was buried in his garden, it was just Kei and Eliza to face whatever was next together.


	12. Chapter 12

Eliza was giving Kei a foot rub. As her belly got bigger, so did her feet. She was tired all the time and Eliza didn’t mind helping her relax. Kei was looking intently at Eliza this particular afternoon.

“Everything okay?” Eliza asked, casually. “Do I need to switch feet?”

Kei shook her head. “No. I was just thinking about all the odd things you say.”

“Do I say odd things?” Eliza returned. “I believe being odd is Frankie’s department.”

Kei chuckled. “No, not like that. You say things that are just plain bizarre.”

“How do you mean?” Eliza continued.

“Like when you mentioned something about Vietnam,” Kei reminded her. “And when we first met, you talked like you knew me, but you didn’t seem sure of your own last name. Then you were so sure that Frankie is going to be alright. When you punched that guard for Oji-chan, you said it was for your family. I realized I’ve ignored all these things individually, but putting them all together makes it seem suspicious.”

Eliza wasn’t sure how to get out of this. Kei’s memory was not something to be tested, apparently. Although, Eliza already knew that. Even as an old lady, Kei had an incredible memory. Frankie couldn’t get away with anything. She felt like Kei could be trusted with her story, but she didn’t want to be rejected either. What if Kei did not believe her? With no excuse, Eliza decided to go with the truth.

“Okay, please don’t freak out when I tell you this,” she began.

“I promise,” Kei assured her, her brow furrowing.

Eliza took a deep breath. “I’m not from here.”

“Well, Eliza, none of us are from here,” Kei said.

“No, not like that,” Eliza argued. “Kei, I was born in the year 1999. Before I came to the camp, I was in my apartment in LA in the year 2017.”

A stunned look claimed Kei’s face. “What?” she replied in an almost whisper.

“I mentioned Vietnam because in about twenty years from now, we go to war with them,” Eliza continued. “I made up a last name because my real last name is Thomas. I said that punch was for my family because…well, I’m your great-granddaughter. The baby you’re carrying now is my grandmother, Hanako. I know that Frankie is going to be okay because you both are alive in my time.”

Kei stared at Eliza, a look of shock and doubt on her face. She seemed to doubt that Eliza was a rational person.

“That’s impossible,” she finally said.

“It is possible and I can prove it,” Eliza argued. She went over to her bed, which had once been Sam’s. Eliza had moved her stuff in so that Kei would not be alone in the room. She retrieved from beneath her pillow her iPhone. She held it out to Kei.

“Do you know what this is?” Eliza asked.

Kei shook her head.

“Of course you don’t,” Eliza said. “Because it doesn’t exist yet. It’s a phone. It can also take pictures and store information.”

“That’s impossible!” Kei gasped. “That tiny thing couldn’t do all that!”

“You think I could make all this up?”

Kei considered this. “I guess not. But if you’re my great-granddaughter, why is your last name Thomas?”

“My mom married a white guy,” Eliza said. “You see, baby Hanako married a man named George Mimura. He passed away before I was born, but they had a daughter, Anna. Anna is my mom, and your granddaughter. Anna married a guy named Mark Thomas, who is my dad.”

Kei still seemed shocked and confused. “This is a lot to take…”

“Hey, you had to ask questions,” Eliza joked. She knew it was probably not a good time, but she was so uncomfortable she could think of little else to do. Surprisingly, Kei almost smiled.

“Wait…” she said. “Is that why you threw up the first time you saw Frankie?”

Eliza nodded. “Yep. Since my actual grandpa, that guy George, died before I knew him, and grandma Hanako never remarried, Frankie is my Oji-chan. It was a real shock to see him.”

“This is so crazy,” Kei said. “Oh, what about Sammy? Does he have any children or grandchildren?”

Eliza looked away. “I don’t know actually. You and Frankie never talk about Sammy. You haven’t spoken in…well, it’s been a long time.”

“What? Why?”

“Again, I don’t know. There were apparently some irreconcilable differences. But I never knew what they were. Mom didn’t know either. I didn’t even know Sam existed until I discovered the _Life Magazine_ in your attic one summer while we were staying at your house.”

Kei seemed to really struggle with this. Her brow furrowed as she frowned.

“That can’t be…” she trailed off. “He’s my brother.” She looked back at Eliza. “And…how on earth did you get here?”

“I have no idea,” Eliza said. “The last thing I remember is…”

“What?” Kei insisted. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Eliza hesitated as tears welled up in her eyes. She sniffled, cleared her throat and then began. “It all started when I went to college and started dating this guy….”

She re-told the entire story to Kei. It was easier now that she had told it once already, and even more so now that Kei knew the entire situation. It was still emotional, but Kei listened intently. It felt good to get everything, truly everything, off her chest.

When she was finished, she glanced at Kei, whose expression was difficult to read. She didn’t say anything. Instead, she pulled Eliza into a long hug. They sat on the bed and held each other for what felt like forever. At last, Eliza felt safe in the arms of her family.


	13. Chapter 13

More months passed and Kei gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The shocking news of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki shook the internees to their core. Eliza long knew about this event, but she never thought about it this way. The horror on the faces of the Japanese Americans as they listened to this news was something she would never forget. When the end of the war was announced and the prisoners were freed, the Kimura’s moved to San Francisco. They soon got news that Sam would be coming home from Italy. Kei was ecstatic to see her brother. Eliza was dreading it. She knew that a confrontation would occur that would tear the siblings apart for most of their lives. She did not want to witness it.

The reunion of Kei and Frankie was the sweetest thing Eliza had ever seen. Frankie was still looking a little rough, but mostly okay. What shone through was his absolute elatedness at meeting his daughter, Hanako. It was so beautiful, Eliza had to wipe a joyful tear from her eye. When Tatsuo joined them a while later, it was bittersweet. He was mourning Keito, but ecstatic to meet Hanako. That little girl was the light in the eyes of all who loved her.

At last, it was the day of Sam’s return. He had been injured in Italy, so it had been weeks since he had seen action. Apparently, he was still using a cane. He came limping into view near their apartment, and Eliza was the first to see him.

“Sammy!” she cried and flew to him.

Laughing, he accepted her into his arms and squeezed her gently. “It’s good to see you, Eliza!”

She put his arm around her shoulders to help him walk easier and they approached the rest of the family. Eliza’s heart was warmed as she watched Sam reunite with Kei and his father. His delightful “I’m an uncle!” had her almost melting.

It all went wrong when Frankie approached. He and Kei had already married since leaving the camp and prison. Sam was outraged that Frankie was a part of their family.

Eliza decided when she left the camp that she was going to try to keep the family together. She would mediate between everyone and explain the dangers of holding on to something as silly as protesting the war. When Sam heard about Hannah, she started to step in.

“Okay, hold on,” she said, but they ignored her, continuing to argue.

“Hey, stop!” she cried, but once again was not acknowledged. “Everyone, listen!”

She reached out to grab Sam by the shoulder to talk him down, but as she extended her hand, she saw that it appeared to be dissolving. Her hand was almost transparent. As if she were a ghost.

“What’s happening?!” she gasped. She moved again to touch Sam, but her fingers went right though him, and he didn’t notice a thing.

“Sam!” she called again. “Kei! Frankie! Anybody! Can’t you hear me?!”

She looked desperately at them, waving her arms wildly. Now she saw that her hands were completely gone. She wanted to scream, but she had no voice. She turned her eyes to her family again, but they were fading from view, as if she were going backwards through a tunnel. She tried to run, but they grew farther and farther away from her. She saw Sam turn his back on Kei, who had just torn his purple heart from his chest.

“Sammy!” she called, as her eyes snapped open. She saw her own hand reaching out in front of her, perfectly solid. Fluorescent light nearly blinded her before a white room came into focus.

“Sammy?” said a confused voice from somewhere to her right.

She looked over to see the face of her mother. “Mom?”

Her mother looked awful, as if she hadn’t slept or eaten in days. Her eyes were red and puffy from what was likely many bouts of crying. She reached out and took Eliza’s hand.

“Yeah,” she said. “It’s me, baby.”

Eliza let her hand drop her side. It hit her that she was in a bed. She took everything in at last. She was in the hospital. Her mother and father were there. So was her grandma Hanako. In two chairs on the other side of her were Frankie and Kei, who looked utterly stunned. Eliza looked at them with entirely new eyes.

“Sam,” she said, and her voice broke over a sob. “He just – he just left!”

“W-what?” Kei gasped and she and Frankie got to their feet to approach the bed. “Sweetie, what are you talking about?!”

Eliza reached a shaking hand toward her great-grandparents. “I’m sorry!” she wailed. “I’m sorry I did such a stupid thing! And after everything you two went through to get this family here! I’m so sorry! I’ll never do anything like this again!”

She buried her face in Frankie’s arm and continued to openly weep.

“What…is happening?” Mark wondered.

“I really don’t know what she’s talking about,” Frankie said.

“The camp!” Eliza explained through her tears. “You two…you endured so much. Oji-chan went to the stockade and then prison because of the stupid draft. Grandma Kei had to have her baby alone because Kimura-san died in the garden. And Hannah…” she trailed off, unable to say anymore.

“What?” Hanako demanded. “Who is Hannah?”

“The nurse!” Eliza said, feeling entirely overwhelmed. “The nurse who died trying to get Oji-chan out of prison. They named you for her.”

Frankie took a seat on the bed and pulled Eliza close, so her head rested on his chest. Kei sat beside him and placed a comforting hand on Eliza’s leg.

“How do you know all of this?” Frankie asked.

He wasn’t angry, although he was thoroughly confused.

“I was there!” Eliza insisted still crying. “I was there!”

“You weren’t even alive!” her mother cried.

“Okay, she needs to calm down,” Kei said gently. “Let’s not ask any more questions.”

Eliza wept for several long minutes before she was finally breathing normally and tears stopped streaming down her face.

“How long was I gone?” she finally asked.

“About three days,” her mother said. “The doctor said he had no idea why you were out so long, since you seemed healthy after they got the drugs out of your system.”

“That’s impossible…” Eliza replied. “I was in the camp for years.”

“Honey, you were never in a camp,” her father told her. “You must have been dreaming.”

“But I wasn’t!” she insisted. “I couldn’t have been.”

Finally, Kei spoke up. “Could everyone give me and Frankie some time with Eliza?”

Hesitantly they, agreed. Anna kissed Eliza on the top of the head before leaving the room. When she was alone with her grandparents, Eliza looked longingly at them.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” she asked.

“Start from the beginning,” Kei said gently.

Eliza took a deep breath and told them everything.


	14. Chapter 14

When Eliza was finally released, she decided not to go back to school. She was going to stay at Kei and Frankie’s for a while. They had a small cottage on the coast, and the doctor agreed it would be good for her to have a change of scene.

Sadly, she had to admit that what she experienced was something like a dream. Frankie and Kei confirmed that she had not moved from her hospital bed, and they had no memories of her being present in the moments she described to them. They also told her that she was right about everything she had witnessed. It was strange that she had dreamed events she had no knowledge of, but Eliza figured it was something to remind her about who she was, and where she came from. She felt very close to her great-grandparents now.

When she moved in with them, the life in her own time felt more like a dream. Her heart felt torn between the two worlds she had known. The cottage was relaxing and peaceful, though. She was recovering. In the meantime, she devoted herself to improvement. Frankie was helping her become fluent in Japanese. She was reading everything she could about the internment. She was also trying to locate Sam. Kei had apparently reached out with letters and cards, only to be ignored. But Eliza was determined to contact him.

One day, Kei and Frankie were out to the store, so Eliza put Sam’s last known address in her GPS and drove out to San Francisco. It wasn’t far from Kei and Frankie’s, since they had lived in the city for most of their lives. They had moved to the cottage when they retired.

When she pulled up to the apartment building, she got nervous. She had created a cover story for visiting him, but she wasn’t sure it would work. She just knew she had to try. She checked the apartment number once more before stepping out and going to the door. She stared at the knocker for what felt like hours before she finally got her courage up. Taking a deep breath, she knocked. To her great surprise, he answered. She knew it was him because he looked exactly like Keito. She gaped at him and he narrowed his eyes at her.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “What do you want?”

She shook her head. “Sam Kimura?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “What do you want?”

“My name’s Eliza Thomas,” she told him. “I’m a reporter. I read your story in _Life Magazine_ from World War II and I was hoping to do a follow up.”

He eyed her skeptically. “Why?”

“Well, Veteran’s Day is coming up and I wanted a unique story,” she lied. “I thought yours was a great example.”

“I don’t want to get into all of that,” he said dismissively. “It’s the past.”

“Well, that’s the thing, sir, I don’t want to ask about the past,” she persisted. “I’m more curious as to what you accomplished afterward. I understand you went on to fight in Korea and Vietnam. But I want to know what else.”

He just glared at her for a moment.

“No,” he said flatly.

He went to close the door but she stopped it.

“That’s the other thing,” she said with a grin. “I’m really not taking no for an answer.”

“Leave me alone,” he continued, but she did not relent.

“Sir, with all due respect, I’m just as stubborn as you are, but with a lot more energy,” she said. “Might as well let me in. We’re just wasting time with this.”

“What if I call the police?” he challenged.

“They can send me away today, but rest assured, I’ll be back,” she told him. “You’re my story, Sam Kimura, and I’m not leaving until I’ve got the whole picture.”

With a defeated sigh, he opened the door wider and stepped away. “Come in.”

“Yes!” she squealed and entered.

“Obnoxious girl,” he muttered.

She followed him into the apartment. His walls were covered with bookshelves. He had a few medals mounted, as well as an American flag. There were a few photos around too. The one that caught Eliza’s eye was of Sam and Mike Masaoka shaking hands.

“Is that Mike Masaoka?” she asked, knowing full well that it was.

“Yes,” he answered. “When he gave me a job at the Japanese American Citizens League.”

She scanned across the shelf. She almost gasped when she saw a very old, wallet sized photo of Hannah in a small frame. It was faded, but there was no mistaking her. Clearly, Sam had never gotten over her. Eliza felt an ache in her heart.

“Who is this?” she dared to ask.

“I thought we were not talking about the past,” he retorted.

“Well, we’ll have to fill in the gaps that aren’t public record,” she explained. “But if you don’t want to talk about her, that’s okay.”

“Sit down,” he offered.

She sat across the coffee table from him on the footstool of another chair.

“Don’t you need a notebook or something?” he wondered.

She shook her head. “Nope. Today is just about establishing a rapport.”

“You’re not off to a great start,” he remarked.

She laughed. “Good one, Mr. Kimura. I’m sorry, I just want to get to know you.”

“Would you like some tea or coffee?” he offered.

“Tea would be wonderful,” she said.

He shuffled into the kitchen, and Eliza allowed herself to sigh with relief. It worked, only next time she would have to remember to bring a notebook to keep this up. After a moment, she rose from the stool and followed Sam.

“Can I help you with the tea?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” he replied shortly.

She did not answer but just watched him. He was so different from the warm young man she had met at the camp.

“So, Mr. Kimura,” she began. “Did you live here with a wife or kids or anything?”

“No,” he told her. “I never married or had children.”

“You don’t have any family?” she pressed.

“No,” he said again. “I have not had a family in a very long time.”

“Why?”

“That is a very long story.”

“I’ve got plenty of time.”

He sighed in an annoyed sort of way. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“At some point you’ve got to give me something,” she said. “I want to know the Sam Kimura behind the uniform.”   

“That is also a long story.”

“Let’s start from the beginning. Tell me about what you did after the war was over.”

The kettle squealed and Sam poured the tea.

“Let’s go get comfortable,” he said.

She followed him back out to the living room, where again, they sat across from one another.

“So, let’s start with what you did for the JACL after the war,” she said again.

He took a deep breath and launched into the story.


End file.
